Systems and methods for leveraging remotely captured images

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods can leverage images of remotely captured items to extract information, populate forms, authenticate users, and perform other actions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/434,308, filed Feb. 16, 2017, which applicationclaims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/296,295, filed Feb. 17, 2016, both of which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Users today generate, provide, and receive tremendous amounts of data intheir day to day lives. Much of this data is useful for varioustransactions and communications. Nonetheless, while this data can bedigitized, users must still manually enter, speak, or otherwise providea variety of information.

In one example, quoting insurance is time consuming for both theconsumer and the insurance provider. The quoting process involves theinsurance provider collecting a large amount of information directlyfrom the consumer to generate an appropriate quote. The process requiresthat the insurance provider and the consumer engage in a lengthy dialogin which the insurance provider asks a large number of questions toinsure that it has accurate and complete information. Unfortunately,many consumers lack the patience to deal with the process and drop fromthe sales cycle before the insurance purchase is complete. This processexpends the insurance provider resources without converting to sales.

Other examples can relate to population of various forms or documents,authentication, and other actions.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a method can include receiving an image of a useritem, recognizing the user item based on the image, extracting identityinformation about the user or the user item based on recognizing theuser item and populating a form with extracted data based on theidentity information.

In a further embodiment, a system can include non-transitory computerreadable media and a processor. The non-transitory computer readablemedia stores instructions. When executed by the processor, theinstructions can perform aspects comprising receiving an image of a useritem, recognizing the user item based on the image, extracting identityinformation about the user or the user item based on recognizing theuser item, and authenticating the user based on the identity informationand recognizing the user item.

In another embodiment, a method can include receiving two or more imagesof two or more user items, recognizing the two or more user items basedon the image, extracting identity information about the user and the twoor more user items based on recognizing the user item, and batchpopulating at least one form with extracted data based on the identityinformation

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those having ordinary skill in the art, to which the presentdisclosure pertains, will more readily understand how to employ thenovel system and methods of the present disclosure, certain illustratedembodiments thereof will be described in detail herein-below withreference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example environment in which modules ofa system of the present disclosure can be implemented.

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of a computing device that may be utilizedin conjunction with FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an example system disclosedherein.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example methodology disclosedherein.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of another example methodology disclosedherein.

A component or a feature that is common to more than one drawing isindicated with the same reference number in each of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure is directed toward using remotely captured imagesof user items or other things in various contexts. It is to beappreciated the subject disclosure is described below more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrated embodimentsof the present disclosure are shown. The present disclosure is notlimited in any way to the illustrated embodiments as the illustratedembodiments described below are merely examples of the disclosure, whichcan be embodied in various forms, as appreciated by one skilled in theart. Therefore, it is to be understood that any structural andfunctional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted aslimiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representativefor teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the presentdisclosure. Furthermore, the terms and phrases used herein are notintended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandabledescription of the disclosure.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this disclosure belongs. Although any methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also beused in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, examplemethods and materials are now described.

It is noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singularforms “a”, “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a stimulus”includes a plurality of such stimuli and reference to “the signal”includes reference to one or more signals and equivalents thereof asknown to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

It is to be appreciated that certain embodiments of this disclosure asdiscussed below are a software algorithm, program or code residing oncomputer useable medium having control logic for enabling execution on amachine having a computer processor. The machine typically includesmemory storage configured to provide output from execution of thecomputer algorithm or program. As used herein, the term “software” ismeant to be synonymous with any code or program that can be in aprocessor of a host computer, regardless of whether the implementationis in hardware, firmware or as a software computer product available ona disc, a memory storage device, or for download from a remote machine.The embodiments described herein include such software to implement theequations, relationships and algorithms described above. One skilled inthe art will appreciate further features and advantages of thedisclosure based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly,practicing this disclosure is not to be limited by what has beenparticularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appendedclaims. Further, although at least one series of steps are presented asan example method of practicing one or more embodiments describedherein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that thesteps identified may be practiced in any order that is practicable,including without limitation the omission of one or more steps.

The communications described and referenced herein, including withoutlimitation the accompanying figures and drawings, may utilize and/ortraverse networks that may include a local area network (LAN), a widearea network (WAN), a personal area network (PAN), and/or combinationsthereof. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices,enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet. Forinstance, when used in a LAN networking environment, one or more systemsdescribed herein are connected to the LAN through a network interface oradapter (not shown). When used in a WAN networking environment, thecomputing system environment typically includes a modem or other meansfor establishing communications over the WAN, such as the Internet. Themodem, which may be internal or external, may be connected to a systembus via a user input interface, or via another appropriate mechanism. Ina networked environment, program modules depicted relative to one ormore systems described herein, or portions thereof, may be stored in aremote memory storage device such as storage medium. Communication links75 may comprise either wired or wireless links.

Particular terms are used herein for ease of explanation but are not tobe interpreted in a limiting fashion. For example, the term “identityinformation” includes information exceeding the identity of a person orthing, and can relate to other records, account information, or detailsabout the person or thing. In another example, a “user item” can includean item held, possessed, or owned by the user, but can additionallyinclude anything accessible or proximate to the user of which the usercan capture an image.

Referring to FIG. 1, an example insurance purchase system 10 is shownfor illustrative purposes. In one example, the insurance purchase system10 includes a provider 11, a network 13, a user 15, and at least oneinstance of a data source 16. The provider 11 in one example is anentity that wishes to sell insurance to the user 15. In one embodiment,the entity is an insurance company. In one embodiment, the entity may bean agent of an insurance company. In one embodiment, the entity may be aservice provider of an insurance company. In one embodiment, the entitymay be an employee of one of the preceding entities. In one embodiment,provider 11 may participate in system 10 utilizing one or more computingdevices, such as the example device 320 shown in FIG. 2. In oneembodiment, the insurance being provided is automobile insurance. Thisdisclosure, however, is applicable to other forms of insurance. Forinstance, system 10 may be utilized in the provision of other types ofinsurance, such as health, homeowners, and/or life insurance.

Referring further to FIG. 1, network 13 may include a local area network(LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a personal area network (PAN), orcombinations thereof. Such networking environments are commonplace inoffices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet.For instance, when used in a LAN networking environment, provider 11 anduser 15 are connected to the LAN through a network interface or adapter(not shown). When used in a WAN networking environment, the computingsystem environment typically includes a modem or other means forestablishing communications over the WAN, such as the Internet. Themodem, which may be internal or external, may be connected to a systembus via a user input interface, or via another appropriate mechanism. Ina networked environment, program modules depicted relative to system 10,or portions thereof, may be stored in a remote memory storage devicesuch as storage medium. Computing devices may communicate over network13 through one or more communications links formed between datainterfaces. Communication links may comprise either wired or wirelesslinks. It is to be appreciated that the illustrated network connectionsin the figures (e.g., FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) are examples and other ways ofestablishing a communications link between multiple devices may be used.

Referring further to FIG. 1, it should be noted that network 13 may beutilized to form one or more communication channels 17 between provider11, user 15, and data source 16. A communication channel 17 may comprisea data communications channel, an audio communications channel, and/orvideo communications channel. Provider 11, user 15, and data source 16may communicate through one or more communications channel 17. Theprovider 11, user 15, and data source 16 may switch freely betweencommunications channels 17 in accordance with their preferences. Thestate of interaction between provider 11, user 15, and data source 16may be stored in system 10 such that the provider 11, user 15, and datasource 16 may pause an interaction and/or transaction and resume theinteraction at a later time. The data related to such interaction may bestored as state data such that interaction may pick up from the placewhere it was suspended. Further, it is envisioned that provider 11, user15, and data source 16 may begin an interaction utilizing a firstcommunication channel 17, pause the interaction, and resume theinteraction utilizing a second communication channel 17. The firstcommunication channel 17 and the second communication channel 17 may beof different types.

Referring further to FIG. 1, user 15 in one example is an entity whowishes to inquire, price, and/or purchase insurance. In one embodiment,the entity may be an individual consumer. In one embodiment, the entitymay be an organization, such as a business. In one embodiment, theentity may be an agent or service provider of the preceding entities. Inone embodiment, user 13 may participate in system 10 utilizing one ormore computing devices, such as the example device 320 shown in FIG. 2.

Referring further to FIG. 1, data source 16 in one example is an entitythat has possession of data associated with user 15 and/or somethingthat the user 15 wants to insure. For instance, if user 15 wereinterested in purchasing automobile insurance, data source 16 may be asource of data regarding user's 15 driving history and/or the history ofuser's 15 vehicle. In another embodiment, if user 15 wanted to purchasehomeowners insurance, data source 16 may be a source of data regardingsome aspect of user's 15 personal history and/or the history of the homethat user 15 wanted to insure. In another embodiment, if user 15 wantedto purchase life insurance, data source 16 may be a source of data aboutuser's 15 health history, working environment, living environment, andthe like.

Referring further to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, data source 16 may bemaintained by provider 11. In one embodiment, data source 16 may bemaintained by a third party. In one embodiment, data source 16 may bemaintained by user 15. In one embodiment, data source 16 may bemaintained by a combination of provider 11, user 15, and/or one or morethird parties. In one embodiment, data source 16 may reside on one ormore computing devices, such as the device 320 shown in FIG. 2 or acomponent thereof.

Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram representing a general purposecomputer system in which aspects of the methods and systems disclosedherein and/or portions thereof may be incorporated. As shown, theexample general purpose computing system includes a computer 220 or thelike, including a processing unit 221, a system memory 222, and a systembus 223 that couples various system components including the systemmemory to the processing unit 221. The system bus 223 may be any ofseveral types of bus structures including a memory bus or memorycontroller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety ofbus architectures. The system memory includes read-only memory (ROM) 224and random access memory (RAM) 225. A basic input/output system 226(BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer informationbetween elements within the computer 220, such as during start-up, isstored in ROM 224.

The computer 220 may further include a hard disk drive 227 for readingfrom and writing to a hard disk (not shown), a magnetic disk drive 228for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 229, and anoptical disk drive 230 for reading from or writing to a removableoptical disk 231 such as a CD-ROM or other optical media. The hard diskdrive 227, magnetic disk drive 228, and optical disk drive 230 areconnected to the system bus 223 by a hard disk drive interface 232, amagnetic disk drive interface 233, and an optical drive interface 234,respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable mediaprovide non-volatile storage of computer readable instructions, datastructures, program modules and other data for the computer 220. Asdescribed herein, a computer-readable medium is a tangible, physical,and concrete article of manufacture and thus not a signal per se.

Although the example environment described herein employs a hard disk, aremovable magnetic disk 229, and a removable optical disk 231, it shouldbe appreciated that other types of computer readable media which canstore data that is accessible by a computer may also be used in theexample operating environment. Such other types of media include, butare not limited to, a magnetic cassette, a flash memory card, a digitalvideo or versatile disk, a Bernoulli cartridge, a random access memory(RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), and the like.

A number of program modules may be stored on the hard disk, magneticdisk 529, optical disk 231, ROM 224 or RAM 225, including an operatingsystem 235, one or more application programs 236, other program modules237 and program data 238. A user may enter commands and information intothe computer 220 through input devices such as a keyboard 240 andpointing device 242. Other input devices (not shown) may include amicrophone, joystick, game pad, satellite disk, scanner, or the like.These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit221 through a serial port interface 246 that is coupled to the systembus, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port,game port, or universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 247 or other type ofdisplay device is also connected to the system bus 223 via an interface,such as a video adapter 248. In addition to the monitor 247, a computermay include other peripheral output devices (not shown), such asspeakers and printers. The example system of FIG. 2 also includes a hostadapter 255, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) bus 256, and anexternal storage device 262 connected to the SCSI bus 256.

The computer 220 may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer249. The remote computer 249 may be a personal computer, a server, arouter, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, andmay include many or all of the elements described above relative to thecomputer 220, although only a memory storage device 250 has beenillustrated in FIG. 2. The logical connections depicted in FIG. 2include a local area network (LAN) 251 and a wide area network (WAN)252. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices,enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 220 is connectedto the LAN 951 through a network interface or adapter 253. When used ina WAN networking environment, the computer 220 may include a modem 254or other means for establishing communications over the wide areanetwork 252, such as the Internet. The modem 254, which may be internalor external, is connected to the system bus 223 via the serial portinterface 246. In a networked environment, program modules depictedrelative to the computer 220, or portions thereof, may be stored in theremote memory storage device. It will be appreciated that the networkconnections shown are examples and other means of establishing acommunications link between the computers may be used.

Computer 220 may include a variety of computer readable storage media.Computer readable storage media can be any available media that can beaccessed by computer 220 and includes both volatile and nonvolatilemedia, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage mediaand communication media. Computer storage media include both volatileand nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM,EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,or any other medium which can be used to store the desired informationand which can be accessed by computer 220. Combinations of any of theabove should also be included within the scope of computer readablemedia that may be used to store source code for implementing the methodsand systems described herein. Any combination of the features orelements disclosed herein may be used in one or more examples.

Turning to FIG. 3, an example system 300 is shown illustrating a blockdiagram of a remote image module 310 for implementing aspects of thedisclosure herein. Remote image module 310 includes image receivingmodule 312, image recognition module 314, information extraction module316, form population module 318, and authentication module 320. Inrelation to other aspects of the disclosure, remote image module 310 maybe implemented on one of, or distributed across both of, provider 11 anddata source 16. In alternative or complementary embodiments, at least aportion of remote image module may reside in or be accessible throughnetwork 13, or be partially or wholly resident on devices or services ofuser 15. While the aspects illustrated in, e.g., FIG. 3 can include theillustrated modules, subcomponents, et cetera, every embodiment need notinclude all elements illustrated, and other elements may be includedwithout departing from the scope or spirit of the innovation. Further,while the particular arrangement is provided for ease of explanation andillustrative purposes, alternative embodiments providing differentimplementations are embraced within this disclosure. Further, themodules shown are not a comprehensive illustration of all possiblemodules, as others may be used alone or in conjunction with those shownto realize other aspects of the disclosure.

Image receiving module 312 can receive an image. The image can be of auser item or other aspects. The image can be pushed by the user inpreparation for user action (e.g., planning to complete form or requestdocument), or requested by remote image module 310 or related elementsto provide or verify information (e.g., to qualify user, to authenticateuser).

Image recognition module 314 recognizes at least a portion of the image.This can include various machine vision technologies for recognizingobjects or characters thereon. In an embodiment, the machine vision canrecognize a product, model, brand, et cetera. In embodiments, themachine vision can recognize a structure or place. In embodiments, themachine vision can employ optical character recognition (OCR) torecognize and read letters or numbers. Image recognition module 314 cancombine various aspects, such as recognizing a house and numberedaddress thereon, a vehicle and license plate text thereon, et cetera.

Information extraction component 316 can extract information related tothe user or item based on the image. In various embodiments, local,remote, public, and/or private databases can be searched based onaspects of the images recognized by image recognition module 314. Publicdatabases can include, e.g., Internet searches, reverse image searches,public records from courts or government bureaus, and others. Privatedatabases can include various organizational records, proprietarydatabases, personal data (e.g., of the user or a provider), and others.Information can be extracted from one or multiple databases. Informationextraction component 316 can extract information based on the imageitself, letters or numbers recognized in the image, or variouscombinations thereof.

Form population module 318 populates a form or document with theextracted information. This can include, e.g., filling in anapplication, request, et cetera, which can be web- or website-based, aTillable standalone file (e.g., Portable Document File), an image, aword processing document, a spreadsheet document, or others. The form ordocument can be populated with information from a database, includinginformation about the user or a related entity (e.g., business,coworker, family), information about the user item common to all similaruser items (e.g., parts for a particular model, manufacturer's suggestedpricing, location), and/or information about the specific user itemextracted from the image (e.g., customizations, damage, sale or ownerhistory). The form can further be saved, transmitted, or otherwiseprovided to a user, provider, or other entity when at least one field ispopulated based on the extracted information.

Authentication module 320 is provided in particular embodiments whereauthentication is provided using remote image module 310. Authenticationmodule can be used in embodiments alternative to, e.g., embodimentsemploying form population module 318, or can be provided complementarilywith or without additional modules. Authentication module 320 canauthenticate a user based on an image received by image receiving module312. In an embodiment, user authentication can include providing animage of an item. In embodiments, the user can identify a secure item touse as a security item. In embodiments, remote image module 310 cansupport certain items for identification. Such certain items may or maynot be individually secure, and can include items not readily accessibleto entities seeking to fraudulently authenticate, such as, e.g., anidentification or membership card, a credit or debit card, anotherdevice, a vehicle or vehicle keys, et cetera.

In embodiments, authentication module 320 can include, alone or incombination with the functionality of other modules, aspects to improvethe security of image-based authentication. In an embodiment,authentication item(s) may not be static, but may rotate through avariety of items. For example, a car key, a license plate, a vehicleidentification number (VIN) plate or sticker, a vehicle display showingvehicle-specific information, and other user-specific aspects could bevehicle-related authentication items for imaging. Authentication itemscan be dynamic in nature where alternative sources of data areavailable. For example, in an Internet of Things enabled vehicle,information such as mileage, radio presets, diagnostic screens, etcetera, can be accessed remotely, and captured images of such can beused for authentication. In embodiments, the time to capture or provideimages of an item for authentication can be monitored and constrained.For example, on an authentication request, it may be required that anewly-captured image of an item to use with authentication be generated(e.g., cannot reuse a picture previously taken). Further, it may berequired that the picture be taken within a time frame after theauthentication request (e.g., one minute, ten minutes, thirty minutes)to limit the possibility of an improper authentication based on amalicious party's lack of immediate access to user items. To ensure suchconstraints are met, authentication module 320 or other modules (e.g.,image receiving module 312) can interact with user devices to requirethat images be captured with a secure application, or receive furtherinformation from the device with the image to ensure process integrity.Further, authentication module 318 or related modules can providedetails for how the picture is to be taken (e.g., particular angle,combining multiple items) to further reduce the possibility oftampering.

Aspects hereon can be described as methodologies, but can be implementedas systems. For example, a method hereon can be implemented as a systememploying non-transitory computer readable media, and in someembodiments systems herein may be implemented as methodologies separatefrom the systems described.

Turning to example methodologies, FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of anexample methodology 400 for leveraging remotely captured images.Methodology 400 begins at 402 and proceeds to 404 where images of useritems are received. The images can be received based on push or pullsystems, where a user sends an image of a user item, or where a providerrequests the image, to extract information or otherwise utilize imagery.In embodiments, multiple images can be received to allow for multipleconcurrent actions, batch processing, enhanced security, or otheraspects. The user item can be any number of things in the possession orcontrol of the user. In embodiments, user items may include items knownto be proximate to the user (e.g., office, landmark) such that they canserve to verify particular information. The user item can be, e.g., anidentification card, at least a portion of a vehicle (e.g., interior orexterior view, picture of engine, picture of damaged part), a VehicleIdentification Number (VIN), a license plate, a structure or building, aportion of real estate or real property, a paper or digital document(e.g., contract, bill of sale, stock certificate, financial instrument,certification, inspection or maintenance record, et cetera), and others.In embodiments the user item can be a third party document, such as acontract (e.g., insurance quote or declaration page, contract for saleof services or goods) from which at least some information can besourced without reference to a database.

Thereafter, at 406, the user item can be recognized based on the userimage. Various image analysis, machine vision, and other techniques canbe employed in recognizing the item as either or both of a type of item(e.g., product, model, brand) and/or an individual item (e.g., theuser's particular item). One or more items can be recognized andanalyzed in this fashion.

At 408, identity information is extracted based on recognizing the imageor images. The identity information can be based on the image itself(e.g., specific customizations, damage, or one-of-a-kind item orproperty) and/or information extracted from databases. In an example, adriver's license or other identification card contains substantialinformation beyond references which can be used in databases. In anotherexample, where the user item is a declaration page of an insurancepolicy, substantial information can be gleaned without consulting adatabase due to the details extractable using optical characterrecognition (OCR). In another example, the user item can be a portion ofa vehicle including VIN plate or sticker, such that OCR is required torecognize the characters but databases (e.g., manufacturer, dealer,state motor vehicle department, and others) may be consulted using thecharacters to determine additional information.

With this identity information, at 410, additional aspects can beperformed utilizing the identity information. For example, use at 410can include populating a form with extracted data based on the identityinformation. The form can be any number of signup forms, applicationforms, contracts, requests, et cetera.

In an embodiment the form can relate to insuring a vehicle. In suchembodiments, an additional aspect can include identifying a vehiclemodel identified by the VIN. Particular aspects can relate to driverlessvehicles, where further aspects can include determining the vehiclemodel is a driverless vehicle and generating an insurance quote for thedriverless vehicle based on the vehicle model. Focusing insurancequoting or enrollment based on a driverless vehicle model is possiblebecause actuarial issues may be more driven by the model than a user orpassenger due to the vehicle model being autonomous.

In alternative or complementary embodiments, an entry can be created ina vehicle database (e.g., based on the VIN or other vehicleinformation). This allows consistent tracking of vehicles in terms ofowners or records, and in the event of connected, smart, or Internet ofThings vehicles, permits pairing with vehicle-based diagnostics,authentication, or other data.

In alternative or complementary embodiments, vehicle identification canbe used with insurance claims or repairs. In embodiments, furtheraspects can include determining a damaged part of the vehicle (e.g.,based on the picture, based on other user inputs, based on databaserecords). Further aspects can also include locating at least onereplacement for the damaged part of the vehicle based on the image,locating a service provider to perform repairs, requesting additionalservices such as transportation or rentals, searching for replacementvehicles, cross-referencing other records or providing records toanother entity related to a particular event (e.g., medical claim orrecords related to auto claim or records), et cetera.

In alternative or complementary embodiments not requiring vehicles, useat 410 can include authenticating the user based on the identityinformation and recognizing the user item. In such embodiments, anearlier aspect may include requesting the image of the user item inresponse to a request to authenticate the user. In particularembodiments, to enhance security, the image of the user item must becaptured after the request to authenticate the user and/or the image iscaptured with a proprietary application on a user device.

In embodiments, the user item or image can be associated with anelectronic signature to a document, and fields of the document can bepopulated based on the identity information. In addition to populatingfill-in-the-blank forms, more detailed documents may be drafted based onextracted information.

In still further alternative or complementary embodiments, the identityinformation can be used in conjunction with purchases, financing, orother transactions. These can include leveraging identity information toapply for or complete a loan (e.g., home, vehicle, student, personal),execute a purchase (e.g., major purchase), contract for services, etcetera.

In still further alternative or complementary embodiments, the identityinformation may be used in an ongoing process which is not completed ina single communication or session. For example, complex applicationsrequiring analysis and assessment by provider personnel before advancingmay be leveraged. In such situations, further aspects can include savingthe extracted data as state data, wherein the form is part of ongoingcommunications. In this fashion, data can be collected efficiently andpersist through the end of a process to avoid requiring re-entry.

In still further alternative or complementary embodiments, the furtheractions can be populating or completing a similar form or process to onereflected in or by the user item. This can be done one or multipletimes. For example, by providing an insurance declaration page orspecific pages from a home loan contract from a third party, one or moreadditional applications or contractual forms can be filled outidentically or similarly to allow for rapid switching of providers oreasy comparison of similar offers from multiple parties using theparties' own systems.

As alluded, multiple images of multiple user items may be provided orrequested. In this regard, further aspects can include batch populatingtwo or more forms with extracted data based on the identity information.In this fashion, batch processing can be completed to complete multipleforms related to a variety of items at once. Instances for using suchembodiments can include, e.g., fleet purchases or contracts,organizational or family submissions, group recordkeeping, et cetera.

Referring to FIG. 5, a more specific example methodology 500 (e.g.,operating on system 10) is described. Methodology 500 is provided forillustrative purposes, and not intended to limit the scope or spirit ofthe disclosure as to alternative embodiments described herein. In oneembodiment, process begins with step 508. In step 508, user 15 initiatesa purchase. Such an initiation may involve provider 11 providinginformation about various insurance policies and offering the user 15 anopportunity to select a policy and request a quote.

In step 506, provider 11 receives a request for a quote from user 15. Instep 508, provider 11 makes a determination as to how to generate aquote for an insurance policy while requesting minimal information fromuser 15. In one embodiment, provider 11 may determine that to providethe quote, provider would like access to data associated with user 15 orsomething user 15 wants to insure. In one embodiment, such data maycomprise one or more pieces of information about user 15 or somethingthat user wants to insure. In another example, such data may compriseone or more identifiers for user 15 and/or the thing that user 15 wantsto insure. For instance, an identifier may be a pointer that directsprovider 11 to another location, such as data source 16, which may havethe data that provider 11 would like to access. For example, anidentifier may be an identification device, such as a driver license, apassport, an identification card, a vehicle identification number (VIN),or an address. In another example, an identifier may be an encodedrepresentation of identification, such as a digitally encoded data.Examples include, but are not limited to, digital ID cards, digitaltokens, digital identification codes, biometric data, behavioral patterndata, etc.

In step 510, provider 11 requests that user 15 provide the data toprovider 11. For instance, in the example of automobile insurance,provider 11 may request that the user 15 provide a VIN and a driverlicense to provider 11. In the example of a self-driving vehicle,provider 11 may only request a VIN. In the case of homeowners insurance,provider 11 may request an address.

In step 512, user 15 provides the data to provider 11. In one example,user 15 may provide a VIN to provider by taking a picture of a vehicleand sending it to provider 11. Such a picture may include a digitalrepresentation of VIN. Provider 11 may perform character recognition onthe digital representation to extract the VIN. In one example, such apicture may include enough information about the vehicle that provider11 may obtain additional information about the vehicle. For example, thepicture may allow provider 11 to identify the make, model, and licenseplate no. of the vehicle. Provider 11 may then use this information toobtain additional data from a data source 16, such as a vehicle history.In the case of homeowners insurance, user 15 may provide a picture of ahome to provider 11. Provider 11 may use the picture to perform an imagesearch to identify the property. Provider 11 may use the identity of theproperty to obtain additional information about the property from a datasource 16.

In another example, user 15 may provide a driver license to provider bytaking a picture of user's 15 driver license and sending it to provider11. In another example, user 15 may send a picture of user 15 toprovider 11. Provider 11 may use the picture to identify additionalinformation about user 15. For example, the picture may allow providerto contact a data source 16 and obtain information about user 15 fromthe data source 16. For example, provider 11 may perform an image searchand obtain user's identify from a data source, such as a social mediawebsite, an online directory, or an online records database.

Referring further to FIG. 5, in step 514, provider 11 utilizes datareceived in step 512 to calculate a likelihood of a claim or associatedwith providing user 15 with the desired insurance product. For example,provider 11 may determine that a vehicle with a history indicating thatit has been well maintained reduces the likelihood of a loss whereas avehicle that has not been well maintained increases the likelihood of aloss. In another example, a vehicle with a history of prior damage mayincrease the likelihood of a loss. In another example, a vehicle that isused for ridesharing services may have a higher likelihood of a lossthan one that has not been used for a ride sharing service. In anotherexample, a vehicle with tires that are regularly changed or rotated mayhave a lower likelihood of a loss. In another example, a user's drivinghistory or personal characteristic may increase the likelihood of aloss. In the example of homeowners insurance, a property in a certaingeographical area may have a higher likelihood of loss.

Referring further to FIG. 5, provider 11 may calculate the likelihood ofa claim or loss by utilizing a scoring algorithm. For instance, provider11 may calculate a score based on the user 15 data and a score based onvehicle data. Provider 11 may weight or correlate the user score and thevehicle score, in accordance with a weighting algorithm, to create atotal risk score.

Referring further to FIG. 5, in step 516, provider 11 may convert thelikelihood calculated in step 514 to a quote for insurance. For example,a vehicle score, user score, and/or total risk score may correlate to aparticular premium or range of premiums for an insurance product. Instep 518, the quote is transmitted to user 15 who can then make adecision as to whether or not to purchase the insurance.

It should be noted that the present disclosure includes using themethodology 500 as a purchase tool. For instance, user 15 could provideinformation, simultaneously or sequentially, regarding a plurality ofvehicles or properties and receive a plurality of quotes correspondingto each vehicle or property. The quotes may be appended to a total costof ownership calculation and displayed for the user 15 such that theuser 15 could compare the cost of owning the vehicles or properties.

In describing examples of the subject matter of the present disclosure,as illustrated in the Figures, specific terminology is employed for thesake of clarity. The claimed subject matter, however, is not intended tobe limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to beunderstood that each specific element includes all technical equivalentsthat operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal languages of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving an authenticationrequest; receiving an image and identity information from a user device,wherein the image includes a user item; determining that the image wastaken within a predetermined time frame after receiving theauthentication request; comparing the image to least one previouslyreceived image of the user item; determining that the image is a newimage of the user item based on comparison to the previously receivedimage of the user item; determining, by comparing the new image to atleast a current secure item record that the new image corresponds to atleast the current secure item record; and authenticating the user basedon the identity information, determining that the image was taken withinthe predetermined time after receiving the authentication request, andrecognizing the current secure item.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe authenticating the user is further based on the image being receivedvia a secure application.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein thedetermining that the image was taken within a predetermined time frameafter receiving the authentication request comprises receiving furtherinformation from the user device indicating process integrity of captureof the image.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating theuser is further based on the image meeting one or more criteriaconfigured to reduce possible tampering.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the user item comprises at least one of a vehicle or a house. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein the image comprises an image of at leastone of a vehicle's mileage, a vehicle's radio present, a diagnosticscreen, a key, a license plate, a vehicle identification number (VIN),or a vehicle display.
 7. A method comprising: receiving an image andidentity information from a user device, wherein the image includes auser item; comparing the image to least one previously received image ofthe user item; determining that the image is a new image of the useritem based on comparison to the previously received image of the useritem; recognizing a known combination of aspects in the image; andauthenticating the user based on the identity information andrecognizing the known combination of aspects in the image.
 8. The methodof claim 7, wherein the aspects include at least one of a product, amodel, or a brand.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the aspects includeat least one of a structure, a place, or a vehicle.
 10. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the aspects include an address.
 11. The method of claim7, wherein the known combination of aspects comprises a vehicle and alicense plate.
 12. The method of claim 7, wherein the known combinationof aspects comprises a house and an address number.
 13. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the aspects comprise letters or numbers.
 14. The methodof claim 7, wherein the recognizing the known combination of aspects inthe image comprises using optical character recognition (OCR).
 15. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the recognizing the known combinations ofaspects in the image comprises searching a database for one or more ofthe aspects in the image.
 16. A non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium comprising instructions that when executed cause: receiving anauthentication request; receiving an image and identity information froma user device, wherein the image includes a user item; determining thatthe image was taken within a predetermined time frame after receivingthe authentication request; comparing the image to least one previouslyreceived image of the user item; determining that the image is a newimage of the user item based on comparison to the previously receivedimage of the user item; determining, by comparing the new image to atleast a current secure item record that the new image corresponds to atleast the current secure item record; and authenticating the user basedon the identity information, determining that the image was taken withinthe predetermined time after receiving the authentication request, andrecognizing the current secure item.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the authenticating theuser is further based on the image being received via a secureapplication.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim16, wherein the determining that the image was taken within apredetermined time frame after receiving the authentication requestcomprises receiving further information from the user device indicatingprocess integrity of capture of the image.
 19. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the user item comprises atleast one of a vehicle or a house.
 20. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the image comprises animage of at least one of a vehicle's mileage, a vehicle's radio present,a diagnostic screen, a key, a license plate, a vehicle identificationnumber (VIN), or a vehicle display.